TOPIC 4: Data and Information Privacy

Review questions

  • Based on the Data Protection Act of your country, do parents have a right to see information relating to their children when it is held by an organisation? Give reasons for your answer
  • In the context of the Data Protection Act of your country, can the police request and expect to receive information from an organisation about a suspect in a burglary? What should an organisation consider under the Act when it receives such a request from the Police?
  • A recruitment company has decided to outsource its payroll function to another company. What are the main implications of this decision?
  • A company selling personal life insurance products wants to increase business through marketing both existing and potential new customers by telephone and fax. What are the main implications of this marketing strategy under the Privacy of Electronic Communications Regulations?
  • The School is considering commissioning a survey of its students. The survey data will be gathered and analysed by an external contractor. Certain data will need to be transferred to the survey contractor to carry out the survey (assume that it is a web based survey which will be publicized by email: the contractor will get students’ names, email addresses and certain demographic information to allow the data to be analysed, e.g. by sex and nationality).
  • Assume that two companies are in an argument, one in Tanzania and the other in South Africa. What are the Data Protection issues that we would need to consider in order to do this legally?